Triple Milestones - 2006

Bill Gilbert

10/29/2006

Our annual look at players that achieved the triple milestones of a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI

Our annual look at players that achieved the triple milestones of a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI. Thirteen players made it this year, up from 10 in 2005. Albert Pujols' sixth straight puts him in some lofty company.

Offensive production in the major leagues increased significantly in 2006, especially in the power categories (homeruns per game and slugging average). Runs per game were at the highest level since 2000 and the major league batting average, on-base percentage and slugging average were also at the highest levels since 2000.

All significant offensive categories were up in 2006 after being down in 2005 as illustrated in the following table:

Year

Runs/Gm

HR/Gm

BAVG

OBA

SLG

OPS

1990

8.51

1.58

0.258

0.324

0.386

0.710

1991

8.62

1.61

0.255

0.323

0.384

0.707

1992

8.23

1.44

0.256

0.322

0.377

0.699

1993

9.2

1.78

0.266

0.332

0.404

0.736

1994

9.85

2.07

0.270

0.339

0.424

0.763

1995

9.69

2.02

0.267

0.338

0.417

0.755

1996

10.07

2.19

0.270

0.340

0.427

0.767

1997

9.53

2.05

0.267

0.337

0.419

0.756

1998

9.58

2.08

0.266

0.335

0.420

0.755

1999

10.17

2.28

0.271

0.345

0.434

0.779

2000

10.28

2.34

0.271

0.345

0.437

0.782

2001

9.55

2.25

0.264

0.332

0.427

0.759

2002

9.24

2.09

0.261

0.331

0.417

0.748

2003

9.46

2.14

0.264

0.332

0.422

0.754

2004

9.63

2.25

0.266

0.335

0.428

0.763

2005

9.18

2.06

0.265

0.330

0.419

0.749

2006

9.72

2.22

0.269

0.336

0.431

0.767

Two players hit 50 home runs in 2006, Ryan Howard with 58 and David Ortiz with 54. Andruw Jones was the only one to reach this level in 2005 with 51. A total of 11 players hit 40 home runs in 2006, up from nine in 2005. The 30 home run level was reached by 34 players in 2006, up from 27 in 2005.

A useful indicator for tracking offense is the number of players who hit for both power and average by achieving a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in. A record 26 players reached all three milestones in 2000, but that figure has dropped in recent years to ten in 2005 and 13 this year. Only three players made it in both 2005 and 2006, Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero and Travis Hafner.

A longer list contains the names of players, active in 2006, who have had multiple .300-30-100 seasons in the past but have not done it in the last three years. Many have been limited by injuries but some are still productive players but not at the same level they were in their peak years.

In his 1988 Baseball Abstract, Bill James referred to triple milestone seasons as "Hall of Fame Seasons". This is because all of the eligible players with five or more triple milestone seasons have been elected to the Hall of Fame. This correlation may not hold in the future since triple milestone seasons are much easier to achieve now than in the past. Among active players, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez have nine, Guerrero has eight, Thomas has seven, Piazza, Sheffield and Rodriguez have six and Chipper Jones and Todd Helton have five. Most appear to be good bets for the Hall.

Seven players that have recorded triple milestone seasons will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2007 – Dante Bichette, Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco, Bernard Gilkey, John Jaha, Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken, Jr. Bichette did it twice, all the others just once. Ripken will be elected easily and McGwire will get some support but none of the others will come close.

The Chicago White Sox and the Phillies each had two players with triple milestones in 2006. Twenty five of the thirty major league teams have had at least one triple milestone hitter in the decade beginning with the year 2000. Of the five teams that haven't, Cincinnati has the longest dry spell. Their last triple milestone hitter was George Foster in 1977. The others and the last player to do it are Kansas City (Danny Tartabull – 1991), Milwaukee (Jaha – 1996), Los Angeles Dodgers (Mike Piazza – 1997) and the New York Mets (Piazza again – 1999).

In 2005, seven minor league players achieved triple milestones. Two of them spent time in the major leagues in 2006 and one was Ryan Howard who reached triple milestones in his first full season in the major leagues. In 2006, only one minor league player achieved triple milestones and two others came very close.

In 2003, two college players had triple milestone seasons. However, there have not been any in the last three years.

Pitchers also strive for triple milestones – 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00. Esteban Loaiza was the only pitcher to do it in 2003 (21-9, 207, 2.90). Johan Santana (20-6, 265, 2.61) did it in 2004 and Chris Carpenter (21-5, 213, 2.83) was the only one to do it in 2005. None made it in 2006. Santana (19-6, 245, 2.77) was the only one that came close.

Bill Gilbert is a baseball analyst and writer and member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).